Dialing device



July 4, 1933. 1 H, MORIN 1,917,050

DIALING DEVICE Filed Jan. 15, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l HIS ATTORNEYS.

July4, 1933. H, MORlN 1,917,050

DIALING DEVICE Filed Jan. 15, 1932 2 sheets-sheet 2 His ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 4, 1933 PATENT oFFICE Louis H. MomN, or 'NEW Yoan, N. Y.

DIAvLING DEVICE Application led January 15, 1932. Serial No. 586,902.

My invention relates to a device for selectively actuating the dial of an automatic telephone to progressively dial the items of a telephone call number, and in certain respects it constitutes an improvement in the device disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 586,901, filed J an. l5, 1932.

- In my copending application, I have disclosed and described a device for dialing a telephone call number with which a telephone dial may be selectively actuated to dial the items of a. particular call number' even though the operator is unfamiliar with the number being dialed. Such a device avoids the necessity of translating a telephone call number into the characters on the dial, searching the face of the dial for each particular item of a call number, and the chance of making mistakes in dialing due to the closeness of the openings on the telephone dial. It also permits the use of the telephone dial by those who are unfamiliar with the characters of the language used in the telephone call numbers and printed on the dial. The dialing device referred to includes a dial operating mechanism and a power receiving mechanism to which power is applied for actuating the operating mechanism. The latter mechanism is connectable to the former through a replaceable translating element which translates power uniformly' applied to the device into successive predetermined movements of the dial operating mechanism, causing the dial operating mechanisln to actuate the telephone dial progres.-

sively and selectively. The translating elep ment in that device acts as a link between the power receiving mechanism and the dial operating mechanism through which the dial i operating mechanism receives movement from the power receiving mechanism. There is 011e such translating element for each call number for which the dialing device is used.

By my present invention, the translating element acts as a control element for selectively limiting the movement of the telephone dial operating means and is not used as a link for the transmission of motion from one portion of the mechanism to another. This device of my present invention includes a dial operating means and a translating means comprising several control members which are shiftable relative to the dial operating means to control successive movements thereof. In using the translating element as a control element alone, it can be made of lighter material and made more positive in its controlling ei'ect on the dial operating means. Also the entire device can be made more com- 6C pactly and less expensively; and less power is required to operate it.

An advantage of my present invention is the fact that it is universal in its application in that it may be used to dial telephone call numbers containing different numbers of items.

Specially, the device of my present invention includes a casing which encloses the mechanism of the device. An operating member in the form of a shaft is journaled in the casing and extends through both sides thereof. On one end of the shaft, that which extends through the side of the casing adjacent the telephone dial, there is secured an arm which has a projection extending at right angles therefrom and through an opening in the dial. On the opposite end of the operating member, there is secured a lever which is provided with a handle for convenience in actuating the lever manually. Thus movement ofl the lever is transmitted through the operating member to the dial. Intermediate the ends of the shaft within the casin there is formed on the shaft a inion W ich meshes with an arcuate rack that is pivotally mounted in the casing. This rack is moved about its pivot when the operating member is rotated and the rack carries an abutment which is adapted to engage abutment surfaces of a control element to limit movement of the operating member.

The control or translating element is in the form of an annular disk and surrounds the operating member. This disk is provided with a plurality ofl radial projetions, the edges of which constitute abutment surfaces and are adapted to cooperate with the abutment carried by the arcuate rack to limit movement of the operating member. There are as many such radial projections on the translating element as there are items 'in the number to be dialed, the length of the projection being determined by the particular item in a call number which it represents. rlhe inner edge of the translating element has a plurality of ratchet teeth formed therein which cooperate with a jawl that is carried by the operating mem er. As the operating member is rotated to actuate the dial, the abutment on the rack contacts lwith the abutment surface of one of the projections on the translating element and further movement of the operating member is restrained. The lever for actuating the operating member is then released by the operator and it is returned by spring pressure to its initial position. On the return movement of the operating member, the aforementioned pawl engages a ratchet tooth on the translating element and shifts the translating element about the operating member to bring the next succeeding projection thereon into the path of the abutment on the arcuate rack. lln this way the several items of a particular call number are dialed. When the number is comletely dialed a final abutment surface is brought into position to engage the abutment on the rack, this nal abutment surface is such that it prevents any movement of the operating member and thus serves to prevent further actuation of the dial. rlhe translating element is removable and replaceable by other elements which represent different call numbers. Complementary projections and recesses are formed on the casing and the translating element so that these elements can be placed into the device in only one position.

The width of the limiting projections on the translating element is such that twelve such projections can be cut into the disk. Consequently, any telephone number, irrespective of the number of items thereof from one to twelve, may be dialed with this device.

The dialing device will be more readily understood from the following particular description of the embodiment thereof shown in `the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a telephone to which the dialing| device of my invention is secured;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the dialing device;

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. t is a sectional plan taken on the line fle-4g of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a member; and

Fig., 6 is a fragmentary section of a translating element illustrating the length of the projections for the various items of telephone call numbers.

perspective of the operating The dialing device illustrated in the drawings is secured in position with respect to a telephone l by a base which receives the telephone stand. This base includes a base ring 2 in which the telephone stand is received. The base ring has an internal, circumferential. shoulder 3 on which the stand of the telephone rests and an inwardly extending circumferential flange 4 to which a sheet metal dishshaped support 5 is secured together with a flexible material 6 which extends under the lower surface of this support. The base ring is split at the rear thereof, and on each side of the split, there is formed a bracket 7 through which a bolt 8 extends for drawing the ends of the ring together and clampin the telephone stand therein. At the front o the base ring there is formed on the ring a pair of upstanding, bifurcated brackets 9 to which the casing of the dialing device is pivotally secured.

'llhe Casin of the dialing device is made in two sect1ons, an upper section l0 and a lower section 11. On the lower section which is substantially semi-circular in plan., there is formed a pair of depending brackets 12 which extend between the arms of the bifurcated brackets 9 formed on the base ring. Pivot pins 13 extending through the bifurcated brackets and the brackets 12 formed on the casing of the dialing device, secure the dialing device to the brackets 9. 'llhese brackets, on the base ring, have inclined surfaces 14 formed thereon which abut against complementary surfaces 14a formed on the brackets of the casing of the dialing device and these surfaces serve to accurately position the dialing deviceover the telephone dial. Within this lower section of the casing, there is pivotally mounted an arcuate rack 15 in the form of an arcuate sector having a circumferential slot therein on one side of which the rack teeth are formed. From this arcuate rack, a pair of arms 16 and 17 extend to a common hub 18 through which a pivot pin 19 pivotally secures the rack to the casing. On one of the arms, the arm 16, intermediate its ends, there is formed a hub 20 in `which an abutment pin 21 is secured. 'llhe end of the rack is provided with an abutting projection 22 which is adapted to engage the side of the lower section of the casing to limit the movement of the rack in one direction. 'llhe rack cooperates with a dial operating member 23 and, through cooperation of the abutment pin 21 with abutment surfaces, selectively limits movements of the dial operating member, as will hereinafter appear.

The operating member 23 consists of a shaft which extends at one end through the bottom of the lower section of the casing. For this purpose, an opening is provided in the casing and is fitted with a bushing 24E that is provided with an internal circumferential shoulder 25. @n the shaft, adjacent this shoulder tto on the bushing, and within the casing-there is formed a circumferential flange 26 which acts as a thrust collar, ball bearings 27 being placed between the flange and the shoulder formed in the bushing and the assembly constituting a thrust bearing for the shaft. The end of the shaft extending through the lower section of the casing is squared and has secured thereon-a radial arm 28 which has a squared opening therethrough in which theshaft is received, the radial arm being secured on the shaft by a machine screw 29 that is threaded into the end of the shaft. The radial arm secured to the shaft is offset so that the outer end thereof lies directly over the section of the telephone dial 30 having the actuating openings.therethrough and a` roller 31 is secured to the offset outer end thereof which roller extends perpendicular to the arm. The roller 31 is secured to the arm by means of a rivet 32 and extends into the last opening in the telephone dial when the dialing device is in position to operate the dial. Above the flange 26 on the shaft 23, there is formed a pinion 33 which meshes with the rack 15 and serves to move the rack when the dial operating member is rotated. Between the pinion and the upper end of the shaft 23, there is a pair of parallel, circumferential flanges 33 formed on the shaft. Between these flanges is mounted a pawl 34 whichis pivotally secured to the flanges by a pivot pin. A spring 35 secured at one end by a pin 36 acts to urge this awl in a directionl away from the shaft. bove the flanges 33 there is a thrust collar 37 formed on the shaft which with the upper section of the casing forms a thrust bearing.

. The upper section of the casing has a lower portion covering the lower section and an upper portion concentric with the operating member or shaft. This section is dish-shaped and forms a cover for the lower section of the casing, the aforementioned rack being mounted between the two sections of the casing and its pivot pin extending into both sections. A slot is provided in the bottom of the upper section in which the abutment pin 21 carried by the rack is adapted to move when the rack is actuated about its pivot in response to movement of the operating member. This upper section has a central hub 38 which encases the aforementioned pair of flanges 33 to which the pawl 34 is pivoted and the thrust collar 37, the end of the shaft extending through the center of the hub. The hub is also provided with a bushing 39 having an internal shoulder 40 between which and the aforementioned thrust collar ball bearings 41 are` placed. The end of the shaft extending through the hub is also squared and passes through a squared opening in a lever 42, the lever being secured on the end of the shaft by a vmachine screw 43. On the end of the lever there is mounted a handle 44 which is rotatable about a pin 45 which passes through thelever, the handle bein secured tothe pin by a machine screw .46. t'will be apparent that rota-tion of the lever 42 will be transmitted through the operating member directly to the dial.l As the operating member is rotated, the rack 15 is moved about its pivot through itsengagement with the pinion 33. When the lever 42 is released the operating member is returned to the position in which the abutment projection 22 on the rack is against the side of the casing by a spring 47 wound about the operating member and extending at one end -throu h the hub 38 and at the other end through t e upper flange 33. The side wall of the upper portion of the section 10 ofthe casing is undercut to form a circumferential, internal groove 48 with which two slots communicate, one slot 49 being of greater width than the other slot 50. These slots and the groove 48 act as guides for a translating element.

With this dialing device, translating or control elements are used, one for each call number for which it is desired to use the dialing device. A translating element consists of an annular disk 51, the central opening of which is large enough to 'receive the hub of the casing. The disks may be slipped over the handle on the end of the shaft and will lie in the upper section of the casing. yEach disk has a plurality of radial projections 52, one for each item in the call number to be dialed and one 52a'to prevent further operation of the dialing device after the complete number has been dialed. These projections cooperate with the abutment pin 21 on the rack 15 to limit the angular distance through which the operating member and consequently the dial can be moved. The projections are of such angular width that they do not, with ordinary call numbers, take up the entire disk so that there is a sector 52?) left on which may be printed the telephone number that vthe disk represents together with the name of the person having that telephone number. It will be obvious that any number of. projections may be formed on the disk; on the disk illustrated, twelve such projections can be formed by using the sector on which the name and number is printed. Thus, the dialing device is universal in its application in that the control element is flexible to permit the dialing of telephone numbers irrespective of the number of items in the call number.

Thesector slot 49 formed in the side of the upper section and communicating with the circumferential slot 48 receives the sector 526 of the disk on which the name and number is printed, and the other slot 50 receives the projection 52a on the disk which prevents further operation of the dialing device. These two sections of the disk, together with the slots, prevent the possibility of the disk being placed in the dialing device incorrectly, and osition the disk when placed in the dialing evice with the iirst projection thered-of in the path of the abutment carried by the rack. The groove 4:7 receives these sections as the disk is rotated to bring successive control projections into operative position with respect to the abutment in on the rack. rlhe inner edge of the disk as formed there w on a plurality of ratchet teeth 53 which cooperate with the pawl 34: secured to the operating member. A slot 54 is formed in the hub of the casing through which this pawl extends during a limited period of the rota- 315 tion of the operating member. rlihe slot 'is so positioned that the pawl will extend through the slot when the operating member i approaches the limit of its movement on return after actuating the dial. The teeth on 2@ the translating element are so displaced that the pawl upon the return of the operating member will engage one tooth and shift the translating element. about the hub through a distance sufficient to bring the next succeeding projection on the translating element into the path 'of the abutment pin 21 on the rack 15. Thus, the length of projections 52 control the amount the dial may be rotated and consequently the item dialed is controlled by the length of the particular projection in the path of the abutment pin on the rack.

In the operation of the device when it is desired to call a particular number, the disk on the dialing device is removed therefrom and for this purpose a finger opening 55 is provided in the casing so that the finger may be inserted below the disk. The disk of the particular number which it is desired to call is then placed in the dialing device. As

hereinbefore explained, this disk can be placed on the dialing device only in one position and in this position the projection on the disk representing the first item in c the call number will lie in the path of the abutment carried by the rack. The operating member is then rotated through the lever 42 until the abutment pin 21 on the rack engages the abutment surface or edge of the first projection 52 which lies in its path. The operating member is then released and is returned, by the spring 4:7, to its initial position. As the operating member was actuated the pawl was moved inwardly within the hub 38 and as it returned to its initial position the pawl on reaching the edge of the slot in the hub extended through the hub and engaged a tooth on the disk, carrying the disk with the operating member through an angle suticient to bring the next succeeding projection 52 into the path of abutment on the rack. The operating member, is again actuated, and it is successively actuated in the same manner until the limiting projection 52a is brought into u the path of the abutment o n the rack when amaca@ further movement of the operating member is restrained., o

From the above description of the operati-on of the dialing device it will be apparent that the length oir the projections on the translating element will determine the item to which the dial. will be actuated when a particular projection is in the path of the abutment on the rack. lihe relation of the length of a projection to the dial is illustrated in Fig. 6 in which the numbers and characters on a telephone dial are indicated in respect to the length of the projections. 'lihese translating elements can be made with all projections equal to the stop projection 52a, and the proections may then be out to particular numers.

lt will be apparent from the above description of my present invention that the dialing device is universal in its application in that it is not restricted to numbers having a particular number of items. lt will also be apparent that no more power is required to actuate the dialing device than that required to actuate an ordinary dial plus suiiicient fcizrce to overcome the additional return spring 4:

lf it is desired to actuate the telephone dial in the usual way, for instance, to secure a call number for which there is no translating element, the dialing device may be swung about its pivot to the position shown in broken lines in Fig. l in which position the dial is exposed for normal operation. rlhe return spring 47 in the dialing device acting upon the operating member 23 insures that the roller 31 on the radial arm will always be in position to pass through the proper opening in the dial when the dialing device is agai shifted about its pivot into operating position. i

lt will be obvious that various changes may be made by those skilled in the art in the details of the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings and described above Within the principle and scope of my invention as expressed in the appended claims.

li claim:

1. A. telephone dialing device for selectively actuating the dial of an automatic telephone comprising a dial actuating member for ilnparting movement to the telephone dial, means for operating said actuating member, and a translating element for selectively limiting successive movements of the operating means to progressively dial the items of a telephone call number.

2. A telephone dialing device for selectively actuating the dial of an automatic telephone comprising dial actuating means adapted to be operatively connected to a telephone dial, means for operating said actuating means, and means operatively related to the operating means and shiftable with relll@ spect thereto for selectively limiting successive movements of the operating member.

3. A telephone dialing device for selectivelyactuating the dial of an automatic telephone comprising dial actuating means adapted -to be operatively connected to a telephone dial, means for operating said actuating means to rotate a telephone dial, a translating element having means for selectively limiting movements of the dial operating member, and means for shifting said translating element upon actuation of the dial to selectively limit successive movements of the dial operating means.

4. A telephone dialing device `for selectively actuating the dial of an automatic telephone comprising dial actuating means adapted to be operatively connected to a telephone dial, means for operating said actuating means to operate the dial, a translating element having a series of limiting surfaces adapted to engage the operating means for limiting the movement thereof, and means for shifting said translating element upon actuation of the dial to bring different limit. ing surfaces into operative relation to the dial operating means to selectively limit successive movements of the dial operating means.

5. A telephone dialing device for selectively actuating the dial of an automatic telephone comprising dial actuating means adapted to be operatively connected to a telephone dial, means for operating said actuating means, a translating element having a series of projections thereon, each adapted to engage the operating means to limit movement thereof, and means for selectively shifting the projections on the translating element int'o operative relation to the'operating means.

6. A telephone dialing device for selectively actuating the dial of an automatic telephone comprising dial actuating meansl adapted to be operatively connected t0 a telephone dial, means for operating said actuat- 'ing means, a translating element including a disk having a series of radial projections thereon each adapted to engage the operating means to limit the movement thereof, and means for rotating said disk t0 shift the projections thereon into operative relation to the operating means.

7. A telephone dialing device for selectively actuating the dial of an automatic telephone comprising a rotatably mounted dia-l operating member adapted to be connected to a telephone dial, means for rotating said operating member, a translating element having a series of abutment surfaces thereon for y selectively limiting the rotation of said operating member, and means for shifting said translating element upon each operation of the operating member to bring in sequence the several abutment surfaces of the translattively actuating the dial of an automatic telephone comprismg a rotatably mounted dial operating member adapted to be connected to a telephone dial, means for rotating the operating member, a translating element having a series of abutment surfaces thereon for selectively limiting the rotation of the operating member, ratchet teeth on said translating element, and a pawl actuated by said operating member and operatively related to the ratchet teeth on said translating element for shifting the translatin 4element to bring the several abutment sur aces thereof in sequence into position. to limit successive movements of the o erating member.

9. telephone dialing devicefor selectively actuating the dial of an automatic telephone comprising a rotatably mounted dial operating member adapted to be connected to a telephone dial, means for rotating the operating member, a translating element having a series of abutment surfaces thereon for selectively limiting the rotation of the operating member, ratchet teeth on said translating element, and a pawl carried by said operating member and cooperating with the teeth on said translating element for shifting the translating element to bring the several abutment surfaces thereof successively into position to limit movement of the operating member.

10. A telephone dialing device for selectively actuating the dial of an automatic telephone comprising a rotatably mounted dial operating member adapted to be connected to a telephone dial, means for rotating the operating member, a translating element including an annular disk surrounding said operatingmember and having a series of abutment surfaces thereon for limiting the movement of the operating member and a series of ratchet teeth on the inner edge thereof, and a pawl carried by said operating member and operatively related to the teeth on said4 translating element for shifting the translating element to bring the several abutment surfaces thereof successively into position to limit movement of the operating member.

11. A telephone dialing device for selectively actuating the dial of an automatic telephone comprising a rotatably mounted operating member adapted to be connected to a telephone dial, means for rotating the operating member, a movable abutment operatively connected to the operating member, and a. translating element having abutment surfaces thereon adapted to engage said movable abutment for limiting movement of the operating member.

12. A telephone dialing device for selectively actuating the dial of an automatic telephone comprising a rotatably mounted operating memberadapted to be connected to a telephone dial, means for rotating the operating member, a pinion on said operating member, a rack engaging the pinion, an abutment on the rack, and a translating element having abutment surfaces thereon adapted to engage the abutment on said rack for limiting movement of the operating member.

13. A telephone dialing device for selectively actuating the dial of an automatic telephone comprising a rotatably mounted operating member adapted to be connected to a telephone dial, means for rotating the operating member,'a pinion on said operating member, a rack engaging the pinion, an abutment on the rack, a translating element including an annular disk surrounding the operating member having a series of abutment surfaces thereon for engaging the abutment on the rack to limit movement of the operating member and a series of ratchet teeth on the inner edge thereof, and a pawl carried by the operating member and operatively related to the teeth on the translating element for shifting the translating element to bring the several abutment surfaces thereof into alignment with the abutment on the ra ck.

14. A telephone dialin@ device for selectively actuating the dial oit? an automatic telephone comprising a dial actuating means tor aal till) annoso moving the telephone dial, and a series of abutments operative'for selectively limiting movement of the dial actuating means shiftable successively into operative relation thereto.

15. A telephone dialing device for selectively actuating the dial of an automatic telephone comprising a dial operating member connected to rotate the dial, a translating element operatively related to the operf a particular item of a telephone call number, and each abutment surface adapted to limit movement of the actuating means of the dialing device.

ln Witness whereof, l hereunto subscribe my signature.

' LOUIS H. MGRlN.

lll@

llll'S 

